As reality continues to set in that Steve Alford is now the head coach at UCLA, the players on the UNM men’s basketball team are in a position they never thought they’d be in.

The chances of some of them leaving are realistic.

“It affects us immediately,” said Alex Kirk, UNM center. “It affects our playing careers. It affects our futures, but he made the right call for him, and we all agree with it. But right now, it’s just a struggle like what we are going to do now?”

Players are asking themselves that question, especially because Alford was a major reason why athletes decided to be a Lobo in the first place.

UNM Director of Athletics Paul Krebs mentioned the importance of stability for the team, naming Craig Neal as interim head coach.

Neal is a familiar face on the coaching staff that could help keep layers from leaving and recruits from walking away.

“Hopefully Coach Neal will remain as the head coach and kind of keep everyone in place, because that’s important,” said former Lobo Hunter Greene. “I think if Coach Neal is not retained, you might see a mass exodus, and that’s not good for the university. It just takes us two steps back.

Not only are the fams rallying behind Neal, current and former players have voiced their support for him.

Kirk said if Neal gets the job, there’s a chance of keeping everything together -- but he wouldn’t promise anything.